Associations Between Socioeconomic Status And Objectively Measured Physical Activity During Schooldays And Weekends In Children. The European Youth Heart Study

Abstract

Socioeconomic status (SES) has been linked to obesity in children and morbidity later in life. The mitigating actors are still not determined but may reasonably well include differences in physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours such as watching TV. PURPOSE: To investigate associations between SES with measures of objectively measured PA while considering differences between the sexes during schooldays and weekends. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 418 Swedish children (229 girls, 189 boys), mean age 9.6±0.4 years. Low, moderate-vigorous and total PA were measured by accelerometry. SES was assessed by parental questionnaire and categorized as low middle and upper SES. TV viewing time was assessed by interviewer mediated 24 hour recall. ANCOVA was used to determine associations between SES with PA or TV viewing while controlling for waist circumference, sex and day of the week where applicable. RESULTS: Girls in the lowest SES spent significantly more time in moderate-vigorous PA (193±9 min/d vs. 163±5 min/d) and had higher levels of total PA (739±33 counts/min/d vs. 644±18 counts/min/d) than girls of the upper SES. In boys no significant differences were seen between differing SES. On weekends, children of low SES spent significantly less time in low PA than those of upper SES (568±10 min/d vs. 600±7 min/d). They also spent more time in moderate-vigorous PA (191±8 min vs. 163±6 min/d) and had a greater level of total PA (752±31 counts/min/d vs. 649±21 counts/min) than those of upper SES. PA estimators, with the exception of low PA, had significantly higher levels on schooldays than on weekdays. Children of the lowest SES watched significantly more TV than children of upper SES (108±8 min/d vs. 83±5 min/d). CONCLUSIONS: PA is higher during schooldays than on weekends with a social gradient during the weekends. Children of lower SES do not engage in less PA, but may spend more time in sedentary behaviours such as watching TV. Interventions might want to focus on leisure time activities and be targeted sex specific and consider socioeconomic background.